


We'll Fight Like Twenty Armies

by prettybirdy979



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Child Soldiers, Childhood Trauma, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 11:40:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4390445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettybirdy979/pseuds/prettybirdy979
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Terrified, eleven year old Matt reacts exactly as you would think when confronted by a large unknown man. With violence.</p><p>Too bad that large, unknown man is Clint Barton and thirty minutes ago Matt was a thirty odd year old man. </p><p>Clint's day just got way too interesting for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We'll Fight Like Twenty Armies

**Author's Note:**

> From the prompt meme [ here](http://daredevilkink.dreamwidth.org/3230.html?thread=6658462#cmt6658462)
> 
>  
> 
>  **EDIT:** The amazing, awesome, brilliant Teddylacroix drew ART for this fic (and it is adorable) that can be found [HERE](http://teddyvengers.tumblr.com/post/124587377485/deaged-mattfoggy)

The only reason the blow doesn't break Clint's arm is that he saw a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye and instinct had him move. As it is, the blow still lands and it _hurts_.

Clint's three steps away in an instant, wondering what the hell is going on in here. He'd come into the abandoned building because he'd heard a noise but he's not said anything yet, why is be being attacked?

And he's unarmed for goodness sake. Well. He's not got his bow. That's unarmed, right?

Carefully, he scans his surroundings and his eyes lock onto another movement in the near pitch black. This time he dodges the blow, noticing how low it's aime- no. How short his opponent is. Clint grabs for his phone and shines the light in the direction of his attacker.

'Holy shit, you're a _kid_ ,' he gets out before the kid's moving at him again and Clint has to quickly throw his phone into his pocket and dodge again. _A kid! Landing blows like a pro though,_ he thinks as he jumps a low punch. And protecting something? He notes how the blows always come from roughly the same direction. Clint feints a movement in that direction and the resulting kick is swift and accompanied by a shout.

Yup. Protecting something.

Clint decides a tactical retreat is in order. He backs up, trying to find the point where this kid will stop coming for him and go back to his protection duty. It takes about ten feet before the kid stops moving and Clint stops too, already fumbling for his phone. He shines the light in the direction he'd last seen movement.

It lands on a kid, panting slightly but not exhausted. Clint can only see the kid's chin as nearly his entire face is covered by a loose cowl...

Daredevil's cowl. _Oh shit._  The kid - no _Daredevil_  - also has the remnants of his suit on and while it's baggy, someone has tied it at the waist and sleeves so it's not hampering movement. Tied it poorly actually, just like a child with limited resources would do.

'Daredevil?' The kid's head twitches but he gives no sign of recognition. 'Come on, you've not told me your name. Kid, come on. I'm here to help.'

'Says who?' A reaction. _T_ _hank fuck_. 'Who are you?'

Oh right. Proof he's here to help. Clint really didn't think this through. 'My name is Clint, I'm uh, umm. I'm a superhero?'

'They aren't real.' So no memories from adulthood. That's not at all helpful. 'Are you with Stick?'

 _Who the hell is Stick?_  'Yes.'

'Liar.' Mini-Daredevil shifts into a defensive position. 'You're here to hurt us.' He starts muttering something  and Clint focuses on his lips. Something about his body knowing his enemies and holy shit what kind of childhood did Daredevil have?

It dawns on Clint he's really not prepared for dealing with this. Time to get the big guns.

'Okay kid, look. I'm not here to hurt you and I am a superhero. I'm going to get proof.'

He texts Nat.

_Situation in Hell's Kitchen. Bring Cap and make him as patriotically recognisable as you can. For a kid like, twenty years ago._

**On my way. This is going to be a good story, I can tell.**

********

They arrive thirty-five of the most awkward minutes later. Nat enters the building first, followed by Steve in what Clint recognises as a replica of his World War Two suit. The fact it's a bit tight makes Clint think they got it from somewhere on the way here. _You really can buy anything in New York._

Mini-Daredevil had tensed about three minutes ago and the moment Nat comes in he shifts his weight. He looks like he's preparing for a fight.

Nat takes one look at the situation and drops into the most casual stance Clint's ever seen her manage. 'Hey. I'm not interested in fighting you.'

'Then why are you here?' Mini-Daredevil's tone is wary but confused.

Then Steve makes the mistake of stepping forward, into the space Clint's labelled mentally as belonging to this scared and fighting kid. Like a cobra, Mini-Daredevil strikes with a punch at Steve's groin - hardly below the belt when it's not much lower than the kid. He's out of range in a split second, which is good as Steve's reaction is an aborted strike.

But Mini-Daredevil doesn't back off. He launches himself back at Steve with a rather spectacular jump that allows him the height to hit Steve in the face. Again, he darts out of range but this time he's moved too far left.

Steve's now between him and whatever he was guarding. Clint can see the moment this dawns on Mini-Daredevil because he freezes. Nat notices too.

'Take two steps back Steve. Right now.' Without question, Steve moves back towards Nat. In doing so, he steps into the light of Clint's phone. Mini-Daredevil doesn't react.

But someone else does. 'Captain America?' a young boy asks and Clint knows what Mini-Daredevil's been protecting. 'I thought you were dead.' Mini-Daredevil moves back into position as another kid comes out of the darkness, where he'd been hiding. He's long haired and also wearing baggy clothing, though his is a very nice suit. Some kind of professional then.

'I ah, was asleep. They woke me up.' Steve rubs at the back of his neck. 'I'm definitely not dead.'

'Is he lying?' the new kid asks Mini-Daredevil, who shakes his head. 'You're really Captain America?'

'Yes.' Mini-Daredevil nods a moment later, like he's confirming what Steve said.

Nat takes a step forward then and Mini-Daredevil tenses but doesn't strike. 'Like I said, we're not interesting in fighting.'

'Captain America fought lots.' Mini-Daredevil's voice is confused. 'He was a soldier.'

'He was. Is.' With a smile, Nat takes another step forward. 'But only people who deserved it. Only enemies. You're not our enemy, are you?'

Mini-Daredevil doesn't move for a long moment but then shakes his head. 'I don't wanna fight Captain America. He's not my enemy.' He tilts his head, as if he's considering them carefully. 'You're really superheroes?'

Steve chokes and Nat smirks. 'We're people that are called superheroes, yes. But good people mostly. Like you.' She takes another step and she's in reaching distance of Mini-Daredevil. 'And I want to know. How can I help you?'

Mini-Daredevil doesn't move back and his friend moves forward, so he's clinging to Mini-Daredevil's back. Clint feels like he's watching someone about to pat a wild deer. It's kind of amazing.

'I don't need help. Stick said I have to stand alone, as a warrior.' He bites his lip. 'Do you help people? Save them?'

Suddenly Clint wants to straggle this Stick because holy shit what is this kid saying? Wanting?

'We do.'

Mini-Daredevil slowly nods. 'You're not lying.' He looks down, then straightens and looks back up. 'I'm going to help you,' he says with conviction and Clint freezes.

Because _Oh shit,_  Clint's seen this kind of thing before, though he'd never thought he would see it in New York. He's sure if he could see Mini-Daredevil's eyes, they'd have the same knowing and defiant light as some of the boys and girls he'd rescued - incidentally, during unrelated missions - from armies. _Fuck, he's a soldier._

Nat just nods. 'If you two come with us, I promise we'll work together to help people.'

She holds out her hand and after a moment, Mini-Daredevil takes it.

Then the other boy cheers. 'You're going to be a superhero, Matt!' Mini-Daredevil - who must be Matt - turns and gives the boy a shy smile.

'Bet I'm better than Batman.'

'Yeah!' The other boy then looks at Clint, Steve and Nat with a grin. 'I'm Foggy. Do we get to know your secret identities?'

This is Clint's field. He slowly walks up to Foggy. 'You sure do and we won't even ask for yours, if you don't want to give us them. I'm Clint Barton and they call me Hawkeye. She's Natasha and they call her the Black Widow-'

'Because she bites?'

Clint shakes his head as he bends down in front of Matt and Foggy. Matt's playing with his oversized cowl but he ignores that. 'Nope. They call her that because she very pretty but very dangerous. And Captain America? He's-'

'Steve Rogers.' Steve's cottoned on and is crouching now, making himself as little of a target as possible. 'I'm Steve.'

'...Matt. I'm Matt.'

Nat stands, slowly. 'Well Matt, how about we head somewhere more secure than here? Where you'll both be safe.'

Matt instantly glances at Foggy. 'Where's that?'

********

They take the two kids to the Tower. Bruce takes one look at them and goes hunting for kids' clothes, accompanied by Thor (the thinking being that loud and not always subtle Thor might provoke Matt). Tony is assigned the job of identifying them while Nat works on getting Matt's mask off and both of them into the clothes Bruce and Thor return with. Steve and Clint cook lunch.

Or rather, Steve cooks a stupidly healthy lunch while Clint locates as much junk food as he can. Because they're _kids_ and he's going to make sure Matt gets some experience of it now.

His plans fall apart when Foggy leads Matt - now cowl free - into the dining room. Matt sniffs the air and goes straight for Steve's dinner, ignoring the junk food.

Foggy on the other hand, lights up. 'OH! Chocolate!' He digs in.

Clint then notes the unfocused state of Matt's eyes. _Blind. Shit._  He decides to go check in with Tony and leave Steve to handle this.

********

'Franklin Nelson and Matthew Murdock,' Tony says as way of greeting when Clint walks into his lab. 'Partners in a law firm in Hell's Kitchen, fairly new but already making some major waves. And Matthe-'

'Is blind.' Clint high fives Dummy as he hops onto one of Tony's tables.

Tony glares at him. 'Way to steal my thund- wait, the kid's already blind? Records say nine and I thought you said he was fighting you?'

'Kid up there is at least eleven.' Clint shrugs. 'And adult Daredevil is a mean fighter. You can adjust without a sense.'

'Huh. Okay then. Right. I wanna meet this terrifying child.' Tony turns and marches out of his lab.

'You would.' With a final high five for Dummy, Clint follows.

********

Within minutes of returning to the roof, Clint's convinced something has possessed Matt. He and Foggy are having a long argument over superheroes, while Foggy throws cheeseballs at his friend. Who is catching them and throwing them back.

'Superman totally counts as a superhero. It's in his name!'

'But you said the Earth's mightiest hero!' Matt throws back another ball, getting it in Foggy's mouth. Foggy swallows and Matt adds, 'Aliens don't count for Earth's mightiest hero.'

'Well I see the lawyer part.' Tony whispers and Matt turns to look at him briefly before going back to his fight. Which huh, odd. How good is his hearing? 'But not so much the terrifying part.'

Clint shrugs. 'Well, it's not a battlefield here. Even soldiers have to relax?'

He looks up and meets Nat's eyes from across the room. She has that look in her eye, the one that lead to Budapest. The one that says 'I'm going to do something and it'll probably get you into some sort of trouble but you'll like it.'

Which he usually does. And this time he's sure he knows what's on her mind. Fun for Matt. The kind of fun children like her - and apparently Daredevil - never get. A childhood.

This should be good.


End file.
